forum Remember Me // Superhero One-on-One // Stalkers Welcome

Started May 16, 2019 by @WriteOutofTime

tune

(i'm gonna skip it then, james can just ask her about it)
A few hours later, Nyir reappeared, more or less no worse for wear. She'd managed to keep from tearing her stitches, but that was about the only positive thing she'd managed. She stormed in, clutching at her side, everything sore. She tore off her mask, her eyes filled with anger. "I'm back," she announced in a growl.

(Okay!)

James was relaxing on the couch, almost dozing in a nap when he was startled awake by the door slamming open. He sat up slowly, rubbing his head tiredly, but managed to give her a small smile that faded away at her rage.
"Hi… how'd it go?"

She gave him a look. "How do you think it went?" she sighed. She really, really, really wanted a drink, but decided against it. "I have a feeling the person who attacked me last night works for a hero corporation. He taunted me about it, too. Acting like I didn't recognize his voice."

James made a soft noise as he was reprimanded, setting his head down as she continued on. "Right. What did he do? Did he hurt you more?" He asked tiredly, slowly shutting his eyes again as he leaned against the pillow he used.

"No," she said, gritting her teeth together. "He taunted me. Told me good luck with my search, and then said that he hoped nothing else got hacked into. I think he's going to hack the system and find my identity. We're not safe here."

James let out a meek noise, not sure what to say. He really didn't feel like moving, because that would mean a whole lot of things would probably be thrown away and put to waste.
"So, when we moving, then?"

"We wouldn't be safe anywhere," she snarled, "we aren't safe together." There were sudden tears in her eyes, a sudden drooping of her shoulders, that she'd never allowed him to see before. Her eyes softened. She walked over to his couch a laid a hand on his arm. "I mean that you aren't safe with me."

James sat up at her outburst, giving her a look of tired concern, his eyebrows scrunched. He sighed and dipped his head a little, crossing his arms.
"No, it's me they're after, right? You're going after the people who gave me my concussion. So it's me that is putting you in risk. I should leave."

"That's…what I'm saying," she replied quietly. "I wish it were. They're after you, but they don't know about you. They can find everything about me if they wanted to, if they try hard enough. So I'm going to find you someplace safe to stay, okay?"

"No– maybe I should just go. I don't want to put you in danger in associating yourself with me. Because if you help me, they'll hunt you for information and potentially kill you. We should just part ways now. It's the safest option."

"There's no way in hell I'm letting you go off on your own," she argued, the spark back in her eye. "I just need to figure out where I can send you." She thought about it. She didn't have many friends (she'd successfully ostracized herself from them) but maybe they'd take James in anyway? But no, they might recognize him as a villain. "I'll figure it out."

"You have to let me! I'm not letting you endanger yourself." He started to collect his clothes, which were folded neatly under the table. "I can go somewhere by myself. If I get killed, that'll be the end of it. You don't need to further involve yourself. One of us can die. There'll still be one hero on the streets, right?"

"If you get killed, your blood's on my hands," she said, crossing her arms. "I don't really want that weighing down on me, okay? I took you in and then you die and for what? Because I couldn't protect you? Hell, no."

"The blood won't be on your hands because you didn't protect me. You were doing what heroes are supposed to do for each other. Now I have to just protect myself. Because I can. I don't want to endanger you anymore," He huffed as he shoved some things in a bag.

Nyir flinched. She suddenly felt that she should tell him the truth. The entire truth. She was so used to keeping all of her secrets close to her that she could barely get the words out. "No, you can't. The…the 'good' guys are after you, because you're not really…"

"Not really what?" James asked, standing up straight to stare at her, holding the bag tight. He was the type of guy that when he heard something, he never let it go until he knew what it was. Nyir put herself in a tight spot.

She lowered her gaze. "James, I lied to you," she admitted. "I didn't tell you the truth about who you are because I didn't want it to define you. You're not who the world says you are. You're incredibly kind and good. Okay?"

"Lied to me?" He repeated faintly, but nodded a little after her soft 'okay'. "What am I, then? Am I not a hero?" He asked, almost sounding in disbelief. He couldn't believe that'd she lie to him about something so important.

She swallowed, hesitating. "No, you're not a hero," she said. "You were a villain. And I think the heroes are the ones who tried to hurt you."

"A villain? And you didn't tell me? I-I can't stay here with you. You're associating yourself with someone bad!" He strung the bag over his shoulders, shaking his head. He was absolutely shocked, but tried to just ignore it and keep his head on.

She grabbed his arm. "You are not bad. The people who are trying to hurt you, the people who stabbed me? They're the bad guys. Heroes are greedy and disillusioned, they're murderers, but you're better than them."

"But the reason they're attacking you is because you're supporting a villain. That's not how it works, Nyir, you can associate with me, no matter how good I am." He looked down at the floor with a sigh. "I have to go!"

"I'm not letting you," she said, her eyes sparking. "Know what, you've successfully changed my mind. I'm not sending you anywhere, you're not leaving, I'll face this head on. I'm not going to run from them. I'm going to expose them for who they are. And I'll prove to the whole world that you're a brilliant and kind and heroic person!"

“No-No! I don’t— that’s the opposite of what I want, Nyir! You don’t deserve to be put in danger because of me. I’ll go somewhere else, try to find the place that made me a villain and… and I dunno. Try to fit my shoes again and find out who I am again.” He swallowed a little, turning from her. She was making this situation way too light for his standards.

"No! No, I'm not losing you, I'm not letting you walk right into harm's way," she said, her grip tightening even more and forcing him to turn back towards her. "You're not a villain anymore. You're not that person at all, damn it. You're a chef, you're a rom-com person, you're my friend."

“I’d rather sacrifice my life than let you thrust yourself in harm’s way for it. I’m the person they are after, so you might as well just let me go to them and solve this whole thing. You’re my friend too… and I care about you a lot. I don’t want you to possibly die and get hurt for me.” He dipped his head a little with a small sigh.

She shook her head, stating firmly, "Like I said, I won't let you go. I didn't drag you out of an ally just to let you run off now."

James sighed deeply, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. “I won’t let you, Nyir. I’ll leave at night if that’s what I have to do.” And he damn would. She left him alone anyway and he had his things packed. It just took her asking him and trying to convince him to stay keeping him from walking out.

"Then I'll watch you all night," she said. "I'll make sure you're safe. You're the first person in a long time who I've genuinely cared for, and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I promise."